FLEX REPORTS FIRST QUARTER FISCAL 2020 RESULTS

San Jose, Calif., July 25, 2019 – Flex (NASDAQ: FLEX) today announced results for its first quarter ended June 28, 2019.

First Quarter Fiscal 2020 Highlights:

Net Sales: $6.2 billion, year over year revenue down 3 percent

GAAP Income Before Income Taxes: $64 million

Adjusted Operating Income: $208 million

GAAP Net Income: $45 million

Adjusted Net Income: $138 million

GAAP Net Income Per Share: $0.09

Adjusted EPS: $0.27

An explanation and reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures is presented in Schedules II and V attached to this press release.

“For the first quarter, I am pleased that we achieved adjusted EPS within guidance range and 11% year-over-year growth in adjusted operating profit with free cash flow of $114 million. We are repositioning our portfolio to reduce exposure to high-volatility, low-margin business, while investing in design-led wins and higher-margin segments,” said Revathi Advaithi, CEO of Flex. “This acceleration of our strategy to reposition our mix and drive profitable growth combined with disciplined execution positions Flex well for the future.”

Financial Highlights

Flex ended the quarter with approximately $1.9 billion of cash on hand and total debt of approximately $3.2 billion.

Cash flow from operations was negative $657 million for the three-month period ended June 28, 2019, primarily due to cash collections of $899 million for certain receivables sold under the Company’s ABS programs reported as investing activities. Adjusted cash flow from operations and free cash flow were $237 million and $114 million, respectively, for the three-month period ended June 28, 2019.

The Company remains committed to using share buy-backs to enhance shareholder returns and repurchased approximately $52 million of ordinary shares during the three-month period ended June 28, 2019.

Second Quarter Fiscal 2020 Guidance

Revenue: $6.1 billion to $6.5 billion

GAAP Loss Before Income Taxes: $15 million to $110 million

Adjusted Operating Income: $220 million to $250 million

GAAP Loss Per Share: $0.05 to $0.25 which includes $0.07 for stock-based compensation expense and intangible amortization and $0.27 to $0.51 for estimated restructuring and other charges not reflected in adjusted EPS

Adjusted EPS: $0.29 to $0.33.

As a result of recent geopolitical developments and uncertainties, primarily impacting one customer in China, we have seen a reduction in demand for products assembled for that customer. Due to these circumstances, the Company has decided to accelerate its strategic decision to reduce its exposure to certain high-volatility products in both China and India. The Company also initiated targeted activities to restructure its business to further reduce and streamline its cost structure.

The Company expects to incur additional restructuring and other charges throughout fiscal 2020 currently estimated in the range of $145 million to $265 million. Second quarter GAAP guidance includes the full impact of these charges although the timing of recognition may extend throughout fiscal 2020.

Looking Ahead

The Company is not providing detailed fiscal 2020 guidance but remains comfortable with the prior fiscal 2020 consensus adjusted EPS range that spanned from $1.20 to $1.30. When adjusting for restructuring and other charges of $0.37 to $0.57, stock-based compensation expenses and intangible amortization of $0.28, the Company’s GAAP EPS would range from $0.65 to $0.85 below adjusted EPS.

Webcast and Conference Call

The Flex management team will host a conference call today at 2:00 PM (PT) / 5:00 PM (ET), to review first quarter fiscal 2020 results. A live webcast of the event and slides will be available on the Flex Investor Relations website at http://investors.flex.com. An audio replay and transcript will also be available after the event on the Flex Investor Relations website.

About Flex

Flex Ltd. (Reg. No. 199002645H) is the Sketch-to-Scale® solutions provider that designs and builds intelligent products globally. With approximately 200,000 employees across 30 countries, Flex provides innovative design, engineering, manufacturing, real-time supply chain insight and logistics services to companies of all sizes across industries and markets. For more information, visit flex.com or follow us on Twitter @Flexintl.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. securities laws, including statements related to future expected revenues and earnings per share. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These risks include: that future revenues and earnings may not be achieved as expected; the challenges of effectively managing our operations, including our ability to control costs and manage changes in our operations; litigation and regulatory investigations and proceedings; compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; the possibility that benefits of the Company’s restructuring actions may not materialize as expected; that the expected revenue and margins from recently launched programs may not be realized; our dependence on a small number of customers; the impact of component shortages, including their impact on our revenues; geopolitical risk, including the termination and renegotiation of international trade agreements and trade policies, including the impact of tariffs and related regulatory actions; that recently proposed changes or future changes in tax laws in certain jurisdictions where we operate could materially impact our tax expense; the effects that the current macroeconomic environment could have on our business and demand for our products; and the effects that current credit and market conditions could have on the liquidity and financial condition of our customers and suppliers, including any impact on their ability to meet their contractual obligations.

Additional information concerning these, and other risks is described under “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q that we file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on current expectations and Flex assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Our share repurchase program does not obligate the Company to repurchase a specific number of shares and may be suspended or terminated at any time without prior notice.

SCHEDULE I

FLEX

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

Three-Month Periods Ended

June 28, 2019

June 29, 2018

GAAP:

Net sales

$ 6,175,939

$ 6,398,956

Cost of sales

5,775,775

6,021,102

Restructuring charges

47,405

—

Gross profit

352,759

377,854

Selling, general and administrative expenses

209,624

262,882

Intangible amortization

17,082

18,517

Restructuring charges

8,787

—

Interest and other, net

51,694

41,742

Other charges (income), net

1,463

(86,924)

Income before income taxes

64,109

141,637

Provision for income taxes

19,237

25,602

Net income

$ 44,872

$ 116,035

Earnings per share:

GAAP

$ 0.09

$ 0.22

Non-GAAP

$ 0.27

$ 0.24

Diluted shares used in computing per share amounts

517,550

535,454

See Schedule II for the reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures.

As previously disclosed, the Company has made certain immaterial corrections to net sales previously reported for the first quarter of fiscal year 2019 primarily to reflect revenue from certain contracts with customers on a net basis. As a result, net sales for the three-month period ended June 29, 2018 are $25 million lower than previously reported for the first quarter of fiscal year 2019. This correction had no impact on gross profit, segment income or net income for the period presented, as they were fully offset by corrections to cost of sales.

SCHEDULE II

FLEX

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (1)

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

Three-Month Periods Ended

June 28, 2019

June 29, 2018

GAAP gross profit

$ 352,759

$ 377,854

Stock-based compensation expense

2,940

5,404

Customer related asset impairments (2)

483

12,352

Restructuring charges (3)

47,405

2,310

New revenue standard adoption impact (7)

-

9,291

Legal and other (4)

-

5,581

Non-GAAP gross profit

$ 403,587

$ 412,792

GAAP income before income taxes

$ 64,109

$ 141,637

Intangible amortization

17,082

18,517

Stock-based compensation expense

15,227

20,953

Customer related asset impairments (2)

483

17,364

Restructuring charges (3)

56,192

8,817

New revenue standard adoption impact (7)

-

9,291

Legal and other (4)

1,610

16,311

Other charges (income), net (5)

1,463

(86,924)

Interest and other, net

51,694

41,742

Non-GAAP operating income

$ 207,860

$ 187,708

GAAP provision for income taxes

$ 19,237

$ 25,602

Intangible amortization benefit

2,156

2,292

Valuation allowance and tax receivable, net (6)

1,576

(8,404)

Other adjustments for taxes (6)

1,140

(692)

Non-GAAP provision for income taxes

$ 24,109

$ 18,798

GAAP net income

$ 44,872

$ 116,035

Intangible amortization

17,082

18,517

Stock-based compensation expense

15,227

20,953

Restructuring charges (3)

56,192

8,817

Customer related asset impairments (2)

483

17,364

New revenue standard adoption impact (7)

-

9,291

Legal and other (4)

1,610

16,311

Other charges (income) interest and other, net (5)

7,091

(86,121)

Adjustments for taxes (6)

(4,872)

6,804

Non-GAAP net income

$ 137,685

$ 127,971

Diluted earnings per share:

GAAP

$ 0.09

$ 0.22

Non-GAAP

$ 0.27

$ 0.24

See the accompanying notes on Schedule V attached to this press release.

SCHEDULE III

FLEX

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

As of June 28, 2019

As of March 31, 2019

ASSETS

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$ 1,920,451

$ 1,696,625

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts

2,570,239

2,612,961

Contract assets

240,559

216,202

Inventories

3,745,700

3,722,854

Other current assets

909,564

854,790

Total current assets

9,386,513

9,103,432

Property and equipment, net

2,309,873

2,336,213

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net (8)

656,267

—

Goodwill

1,077,231

1,073,055

Other intangible assets, net

314,716

330,995

Other assets

684,498

655,672

Total assets

$ 14,429,098

$ 13,499,367

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Current liabilities:

Bank borrowings and current portion of long-term debt

$ 275,937

$ 632,611

Accounts payable

5,193,043

5,147,236

Accrued payroll

377,412

391,591

Other current liabilities (8)

1,591,123

1,426,075

Total current liabilities

7,437,515

7,597,513

Long-term debt, net of current portion

2,961,794

2,421,904

Operating lease liabilities, non-current (8)

555,074

—

Other liabilities

472,900

507,590

Total shareholders' equity

3,001,815

2,972,360

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

$ 14,429,098

$ 13,499,367

See the accompanying notes on Schedule V attached to this press release.

SCHEDULE IV

FLEX

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

Three-Month Periods Ended

June 28, 2019

June 29, 2018

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:

Net income

$ 44,872

$ 116,035

Depreciation, amortization and other impairment charges

190,163

121,763

Gain from deconsolidation of Bright Machines

—

(91,025)

Changes in working capital and other

(891,901)

(1,090,038)

Net cash used in operating activities

(656,866)

(943,265)

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

Purchases of property and equipment

(162,115)

(172,247)

Proceeds from the disposition of property and equipment

38,901

2,336

Cash collections of deferred purchase price

899,260

928,223

Other investing activities, net

(920)

(15,218)

Net cash provided by investing activities

775,126

743,094

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:

Proceeds from bank borrowings and long-term debt

771,533

150,313

Repayments of bank borrowings and long-term debt

(601,240)

(150,344)

Payments for repurchases of ordinary shares

(51,999)

—

Net proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares

403

45

Other financing activities, net

(12,382)

—

Net cash provided by financing activities

106,315

14

Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents

(749)

(17,628)

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

223,826

(217,785)

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

1,696,625

1,472,424

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

$ 1,920,451

$ 1,254,639

SCHEDULE V

FLEX AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO SCHEDULES II, III

To supplement Flex’s unaudited selected financial data presented consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), the Company discloses certain non-GAAP financial measures that exclude certain charges and gains, including non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share. These supplemental measures exclude restructuring charges, stock-based compensation expense, intangible amortization, other discrete events as applicable and the related tax effects. These non-GAAP measures are not in accordance with or an alternative for GAAP and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. We believe that these non-GAAP measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with Flex’s results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP and that these measures should only be used to evaluate Flex’s results of operations in conjunction with the corresponding GAAP measures. The presentation of this additional information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the most directly comparable GAAP measures. We compensate for the limitations of non-GAAP financial measures by relying upon GAAP results to gain a complete picture of the Company’s performance.

In calculating non-GAAP financial measures, we exclude certain items to facilitate a review of the comparability of the Company’s operating performance on a period-to-period basis because such items are not, in our view, related to the Company’s ongoing operational performance. We use non-GAAP measures to evaluate the operating performance of our business, for comparison with forecasts and strategic plans, for calculating return on investment, and for benchmarking performance externally against competitors. In addition, management’s incentive compensation is determined using certain non-GAAP measures. Also, when evaluating potential acquisitions, we exclude certain of the items described below from consideration of the target’s performance and valuation. Since we find these measures to be useful, we believe that investors benefit from seeing results “through the eyes” of management in addition to seeing GAAP results. We believe that these non-GAAP measures, when read in conjunction with the Company’s GAAP financials, provide useful information to investors by offering:

the ability to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of the Company’s on-going operating results;

the ability to better identify trends in the Company’s underlying business and perform related trend analyses;

a better understanding of how management plans and measures the Company’s underlying business; and

an easier way to compare the Company’s operating results against analyst financial models and operating results of competitors that supplement their GAAP results with non-GAAP financial measures.

The following are explanations of each of the adjustments that we incorporate into non-GAAP measures, as well as the reasons for excluding each of these individual items in the reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures:

Stock-based compensation expense consists of non-cash charges for the estimated fair value of stock options and unvested restricted share unit awards granted to employees and assumed in business acquisitions. The Company believes that the exclusion of these charges provides for more accurate comparisons of its operating results to peer companies due to the varying available valuation methodologies, subjective assumptions and the variety of award types. In addition, the Company believes it is useful to investors to understand the specific impact stock-based compensation expense has on its operating results.

Intangible amortization consists primarily of non-cash charges that can be impacted by, among other things, the timing and magnitude of acquisitions. The Company considers its operating results without these charges when evaluating its ongoing performance and forecasting its earnings trends, and therefore excludes such charges when presenting non-GAAP financial measures. The Company believes that the assessment of its operations excluding these costs is relevant to its assessment of internal operations and comparisons to the performance of its competitors.

Customer related asset impairments consist primarily of non-cash impairments of certain property and equipment to estimated fair value for customers we are in the process of disengaging as well as additional provisions for doubtful accounts receivable for customers that are experiencing significant financial difficulties. Certain inventory on hand was written down to net realizable value for these customers as well. These costs are excluded by the Company’s management in assessing current operating performance and forecasting its earnings trends and are therefore excluded by the Company from its non-GAAP measures.

Legal and other consists primarily of costs not directly related to ongoing or core business results such as (1) costs incurred relating to the independent investigation undertaken by the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors completed in June 2018, and (2) certain charges related to Multek China that was divested in the second quarter of fiscal year 2019. These costs are excluded by the Company’s management in assessing current operating performance and forecasting its earnings trends and are therefore excluded by the Company from its non-GAAP measures.

Restructuring charges include severance for rationalization at existing sites and corporate SG&A functions as well as asset impairment, and other charges related to the closures and consolidations of certain operating sites and targeted activities to restructure the business. These costs may vary in size based on the Company’s initiatives and are not directly related to ongoing or core business results, and do not reflect expected future operating expenses. These costs are excluded by the Company’s management in assessing current operating performance and forecasting its earnings trends and are therefore excluded by the Company from its non-GAAP measures.

Other charges (income), net consists of various other types of items that are not directly related to ongoing or core business results, such as the gain or loss from certain divestitures, and impairment charges associated with certain non-core investments. We exclude these items because they are not related to the Company’s ongoing operating performance or do not affect core operations. Excluding these amounts provides investors with a basis to compare Company performance against the performance of other companies without this variability.

Adjustment for taxes relates to the tax effects of the various adjustments that we incorporate into non-GAAP measures in order to provide a more meaningful measure on non-GAAP net income and certain adjustments related to non-recurring settlements of tax contingencies or other non-recurring tax charges, when applicable.

Adjustment for operating cash flows and free cash flow metrics. In Q1 fiscal year 2019, the adoption of the new cash flow accounting standard resulted in a reclassification of cash flows related to the collection of certain receivables sold through the Company’s asset-backed receivable securitization program from operating activities to investing activities. The Company utilizes net cash flow from its various A/R sales programs as a low-cost source to fund operations and as a critical net working capital management tool. Cash flow from operations is also a critical metric that investors use to evaluate a company’s earnings power. The Company views and manages all collections under the program similarly without bifurcation and accordingly provides the adjustment to reflect cash flows from operations inclusive of all collections of receivables sold through the programs. The Company also excludes the impact to operating cash flows related to certain vendor programs that is required for GAAP.

In addition, we define our free cash flow metric to be adjusted operating cash flows described above less purchases of property and equipment net of proceeds from dispositions and present cash flows on a consistent basis for investor transparency. We believe Free Cash Flow is an important liquidity metric because it measures, during a given period, the amount of cash generated that is available to repay debt obligations, make investments, fund acquisitions and for certain other activities. Since Free Cash Flow includes investments in operating assets, we believe this non-GAAP liquidity measure is useful in addition to the most directly comparable GAAP measure – “net cash used in operating activities.” See below for the three-month periods ended June 28, 2019 and June 29, 2018 reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP measures

Three-Month Period Ended

Three-Month Period Ended

June 28, 2019

June 29, 2018

Net cash used in operating activities

$ (656,866)

$ (943,265)

Cash collections of deferred purchase price and other

893,735

928,223

Adjusted net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

236,869

(15,042)

Net Capital Expenditures

(123,214)

(169,911)

Free Cash Flow

$ 113,655

$ (184,953)

(2) Customer related asset impairments for the three-month period ended June 29, 2018 primarily relate to additional provisions for doubtful accounts receivable, and excess and obsolete inventory for certain customers experiencing significant financial difficulties and /or we are disengaging from.

During the first quarter of fiscal year 2020, as a result of recent geopolitical developments and uncertainties, primarily impacting one customer in China, the Company has seen a reduction in demand for products assembled for that customer. Due to these circumstances, the Company has decided to accelerate its strategic decision to reduce its exposure to certain high-volatility products in both China and India. The Company also initiated targeted activities to restructure its business to further reduce and streamline its cost structure. The Company recognized $56.2 million of charges during the first quarter of fiscal year 2020, comprised of approximately $30.8 million of cash charges predominantly for employee severance, and $25.4 million of non-cash charges related to impairment of equipment and inventory.

In addition, during the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, the Company incurred certain restructuring charges primarily related to severance for headcount reductions to rationalize certain existing operating sites and corporate functions.

(4) Legal and other consists primarily of costs incurred relating to the independent investigation undertaken by the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors completed in June 2018. It also includes certain charges not directly related to ongoing or core business results primarily related to Multek China that was divested in the second quarter of fiscal year 2019. These costs are excluded by the Company’s management in assessing current operating performance and forecasting its earnings trends and are therefore excluded by the Company from its non-GAAP measures.

(5) During the first quarter of fiscal year 2020, the Company incurred a $4.1 million debt extinguishment cost related to the partial repayment of our Notes due February 2020 and Term Loan due November 2021.

During the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, the Company transferred employees and equipment along with certain related software and IP, into Bright Machines which later received additional equity funding from third party investors and changed the composition of the Board of directors removing Flex’s control. As such, we deconsolidated the entity and recognized a gain of approximately $92 million in other income, net for the quarter ended June 29, 2018.

(6) Primarily related to adjustment for exchange rate fluctuation on income tax receivable position of an operating subsidiary recognized in a prior period and tax effects of the various adjustments that we incorporate into Non-GAAP measures.

(7) During the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, the Company amended certain non-substantive terms of its existing contracts for its smaller customers. The amendments removed the consideration regarding over-time recognition under ASC 606. Accordingly, these customer contracts are now accounted for consistent with prior accounting and revenue is recognized upon shipment of product.

(8) The Company adopted ASU No. 2016-02, Leases and subsequent updates (collectively, referred to as Accounting Standard Codification 842 or “ASC 842”) on April 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective method on the effective date. As a result, the Company was not required to adjust its comparative period financial information for effects of the standard. ASC 842 requires a lessee to recognize a right of use (“ROU”) asset and lease liability. Our ROU assets are $656 million and operating liabilities are $690 million (of which $135 million was current and recorded under other current liabilities and $555 million was non-current) as of June 28, 2019.